Faux Pas
by Eternal-Explosionist
Summary: Sequel to The Ricochet. A "faux pas" is a socially improper act or remark. For example, stopping a semi-truck and Hulking out in the middle of New York traffic. A faux pas. Now, due to super-sized blunders, Banner and Smith are sent off the radar to recover and train at Charles Xavier's Institue for Gifted Youngsters. Historically? Not awesome.
1. Chapter 1

_**Faux Pas**_

_A "faux pas" is a socially improper act or remark. For example, stopping a semi-truck and Hulking out in the middle of New York traffic. A faux pas. Now, due to super-sized blunders, Banner and Smith are sent off the radar to recover and train at Charles Xavier's Institue for Gifted Youngsters. Historically? Not awesome._

**Chapter One**

She stepped in tune to her ipod, swaying with the beat as her headphones covered her ears. Her glasses were in place as she minded her own business on her way to work. She was just your average New York citizen on her way to her place of employment Nothing suspicious about her average height, average hair cut that was now nearing her shoulders, average glasses, average freckles, and average good attitude. Trademarkingly russet hair was pushed back by the wind and she shoved her bangs away from her eyes and off to the side, their length increasing as well. Her hands slipped into the front pockets of her jeans and she looked like just any other New Yorker.

Bridgette Smith was most certainly _not _your everyday, plain Jane.

Despite her normal appearance, it were her inner workings that were far more complicated and interesting. With her natural skills amplified, such as running, strength, and endurance, she was most renown for her armor-like skin. Skin that wouldn't cut or bruise, that could deflect bullets, and withstand severe trauma. A super-soldier serum, one designed to duplicate the Captain America success, was administered to her body prematurely. The dosage wasn't quite finished and it was most certainly not meant for her young body. Originally, it was meant for her older brother, Marcus. The German terrorist group known as Hydra, interrupted the process and took the young girl as their experiment. Since then, Bridgette learned to control her power, broke free of Hydra, won favor with the mercenary named Deadpool, and evaded SHIELD. That is, until a four months ago.

When SHIELD called her in for the Avengers Initiative.

When Earth was under immediate threat with the mischief god of Asgard, Loki, leading the alien Chitaurian army to ruin Earth for the Tesseract, a blue cube that had the ability to sustain their planet for energy for decades to come. By being involved with the Avengers Initiative, Bridgette met an odd assortment of people. A living legend. A billionaire, playboy genius. A demi-god. A man with breath taking anger issues. Along with a couple of master assassins. While the team was full of clashing personalities, threats to their immediate well being, trust issues, great dislike to working with others, they did manage to gain their traction. Once they found where they all fit, it was impossible to stop them, even when Loki wielded the ultimate power source and an alien army.

The Avengers still won, against all the odds. She had her place on the team, code name Ricochet, a play off her natural resistance to force. She had her role beside the massive powerhouse known as the Hulk, the "other guy" to Dr. Bruce Banner, a mild, well mannered scientist. With her biologically twisted upgrade, she could withstand the Hulk's force. When she wasn't trying to fend off his fists, she was able to talk with him. In fact, she had the best record in communicating with him while he was angry, to the point where he would calm down enough for Bruce to return. Tony Stark teasingly called her the "Hulk Whisperer" and the others had their pokes of fun as well, but she didn't mind. It was nice to have a purpose.

She loved being with Bruce Banner, as well as his intimidating other half. Not that she had the courage to say the words yet herself anyway. Not quite. She would take a few more rounds of sparring with the other guy before admitting. Rather, she didn't feel obligated to vocally express herself as she and Bruce simply understood each other. They didn't need the overly flowery words to show their feelings. They just knew. That was exactly how she liked it.

The time clock buzzed as she entered her time card and she shrugged off her jean jacket before entering the kitchen of the shop. A blonde hair girl gave her a smile and wave, which Bridgette easily returned. Beth, a fellow waitress who developed a crush on her Avenger team mate Steve Rogers, a.k.a Captain America. Steve was a regular at their shop as he was trying to adjust to the new lifestyle of their modern timeline. Beth was a sweet girl and Bridgette perhaps hinted that the Captain should take her to lunch sometime. Hinted. Gently nudged. Blatantly suggested the idea. Who knows.

It wasn't a particularly busy day at the shop. It was nice, steady with a few slow periods in between, the kind of day the German girl enjoyed the most. The low maintenance gave her days to be chatty and charming with the patrons and her coworkers, especially Beth who was simply smittened by Steve. She was informed that he was just the perfect gentleman, didn't take things too fast, was charming, handsome, and adorably shy at some points. Bridgette couldn't help but feel happy for her two friends because Steve often spoke about the girl in a similar fashion. Although Bridgette had to coax him a bit before he gave such details. To him, Beth was beautiful, smart, sometimes timid, and always had a lovely smile for him. Bridgette was only mildly aware that the Captain had a previous love interest from his own time and that it still hurt from time to time, which was another reason why he and Beth were good together. They were taking things very slow, very careful, but so sincere every step of the way.

Beth and Bridgette were chatting as they cleaned up a few of the empty tables when the bell chimed again, alerting them to a new customer. A woman and a young boy stood in the doorway, each blonde haired and judging by Beth's smile, the Avenger would guess that they were family. Beth gave a wave, saying that she would be back in a moment. Bridgette gave a sort of smile once she noticed that the young boy was openly staring at her. He shyed behind his mother once their eyes met and she quirked a brow in interest.

"Family?" guessed Bridgette as the two returned the dirty dishes to the kitchen sink area. Beth nodded.

"It's my mom and my little brother Tommy," she answered with a smile. "It's a nice surprise, I didn't know they were stopping by today!" A thought struck her and she looked to the blonde.

"Hey, any chance you and your family was out helping with the whole New York clean-up?" she asked. "Your brother seems kind of familiar..."

_ Though there was a brief instant where a young boy pulled on her pant leg, requesting her ear. So, she bent down and he whispered to her,_

_ "Are you a superhero?" Stunned that he could identify her while in her usual disguise it took her an extra moment to gather her wits and smile at the boy, a sneaky grin._

_ "Don't tell anyone, okay?" His eyes rounded as he gaped up at her. So, she gave a wave and returned to helping out Steve with a ruined building._

Beth gave a nod. "Yes, we were out helping. Did you meet him or something?" Debating a second, Bridgette nodded.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure he asked me if I was a superhero. Weird, huh?" she laughed. Beth laughed and shook her head as they headed back out into the dining room.

"My gosh, he's been on such a superhero kick since "The Avengers" incident. I swear, that's all he does is look up the footage, and run about the kitchen with a lid pretending to be Captain America. He's silly," she explained. Bridgette shrugged.

"Not a bad role model, that Captain America."

Blue eyes glance ahead when the bell chimed again, allowing the figures of Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner to enter the shop. Steve was still tall with his neatly parted blonde hair and rather stoic expression, the super soldier. Bruce stepped inside after him, still quiet and mild manner as always. Bridgette grinned at the two, happy that they stopped in for a visit. Bruce was slowly testing out the waters with the public. They had gone to a few movies and he always traveled with someone, not trusting himself enough to be alone. He was getting better, in her opinion. Sure there were a couple of maybe worrisome instances, but they worked out all right. Her hand nearly had the feeling crushed out of it, but everything turned out okay. They learned that going to see a scary movie was not quite their hottest idea.

"Aw, now we have trouble," teased Bridgette. The two returned the smile and Steve's attention became distracted by Beth, who excitedly introduced him to her mom and brother. Bruce stood in the doorway awkwardly, running a hand through his curly brown hair. Grinning, Bridgette walked right up to him.

"Hello, sir, how may I help you today?" she asked, taking out her pad and pen from behind her ear. "In case you're curious, we have some delicious specials today. Quite the bargain too." He gave short laugh, deciding to play along with her game.

"Well miss, I'm afraid what I'm interested isn't on your menu," he played. Bridgette nodded sagely, pretending to jot down notes.

"Well sir, looks like you'll have to wait until five o'clock like everyone else." She broke out of character by laughing and tucked her pen away again. She noticed an elderly couple eating outside that needed refills. "Go ahead and choose a seat, I'll be right back with you, doc."

"Of course. Take your time." She gave a salute as she turned heel, picking up a water pitcher on her way.

"Roger that!"

While Bridgette stepped outside, propping the door open as she did so, Bruce took an open table and settled into his chair. He could see her chat with the couple, smiling and engaging in polite conversation. A smile pulled at his mouth as he observed her cheerful demeanor, content. Her easy-going personality and nonchalance was such a relief to the stress that came from being the incredible Hulk. Positive attitude and reinforcement simply did wonders for him, far more satisfying than quiet meditation. He still kept with his other calming practices, accepting the anger of being the way he was, and the constant adjustments. It was better now, at least, it wasn't as suffocating as it always had been.

He could hear the tone change over at the Captain's table. The soldier was standing beside his girlfriend, Beth, and it looked as if the younger boy was arguing with his mother about something. The mother tried to shush him and he saw the boy look out the window to Bridgette who was still chatting and pouring drinks.

"But mom, she is!" he protested. "She told me so, that day at the clean up! Ask Beth's boyfriend, he was there-"

"Thomas Wheatley, you stop this nonsense right now!" she chided, pointing an authoritative finger. "I don't want to hear one more word!" The blonde boy looked absolutely crushed that his own mother wasn't believing him. His face scrunched up as tears dared to fall and he yanked his hand free from his mom's and pushed past Beth and Steve. His legs took him out of the shop, the door open so nothing to stand in his way. Bruce felt his heart still in shock of the realization. That boy was still running toward the busy New York traffic, not paying attention to where he was going.

There was the clatter of chairs as everyone scrambled to move at once. The Captain called out, and the deed was done.

"_Bridgette_!"

Ricochet saw it all in slow motion. She had just been topping off the couple's drinks when her peripheral vision caught sight of Tommy sprinting out of the shop. Her body reacted immediately, turning to run, the pitcher crashing to the ground. The traffic was busy as always, hazardous on a good day to someone paying attention. The yellow taxi would miss him, the timing working out with enough notice for the man to slam on the brakes. The Captain's voice echoed in her ears as she dashed after him. Tommy seemed to be startled out of his daze due to the variety of horns blaring at him, and he stumbled to a halt. An oversized load semi-truck was barreling along, the light green, and the driver seemed to be checking a sheet of paper, not properly watching the road.

"I got you."

She easily placed herself in front of the boy and lowered herself into a good defensive stance. The front of the truck smashed into her hands painfully, the metal hot from working all day in the sun, and the force substantial. Gritting her teeth, she held her ground, heels digging into the road, high heeled shoes snapping under the pressure. The tires squealed against her defense and the driver was startled out of his studying stupor, truck hissing as he hit the brakes himself, the trailer swaying out of line. Convinced that it would no longer move forward, Bridgette turned to the pale faced boy who looked up at her with a frightened expression. She gave a breathy laugh and a half grin.

"And this is exactly why you should check twice before crossing the street. Okay?" she lectured. He nodded vigorously, too stunned to say anything else. She held out her hand and he took it with no hesitation whatsoever.

The surrounding New York traffic wailed with horns and most was still moving forward. Gasping, Bridgette scooped Tommy up into her arms as the rest of the cars propelled themselves toward the pair. Her original instinct was to jump onto the front end of the semi and at least get out of reach. To say it didn't go according to her plan would be something of an understatement.

There was an earsplitting roar and something of a minor earthquake as the giant form of the Hulk landed before them, allowing the car to run into his shin. His green skin covered his overexpanded, hyperly muscular body as he continued to roar at the cars that were piling up now, running into the car before them.

"Oh no-dangit-Bruce-you shouldn't've-aw man!" she groaned, unable to string words together. She kept her grip firm on Tommy as she hurried over to the sidewalk where everyone was waiting. She exchanged a worried glance with the Captain and passed the boy to his mother, simultaneously tugging her apron off and she handed it to Beth's arms, who was still staring at her, dumbstruck.

"Well, uh, consider this my two weeks notice?" she supplied with a shrug. "Gotta go!" She turned to run when she saw Hulk picking up a taxi and examining it at eye level, growling at the device as if it posed a threat since it ran into him. The girl groaned, running back into the fray.

"Hulk!" she called, hands at the sides of her mouth to amplify her volume. "Big guy, we've got to go!" Sirens were becoming louder as the mess grew, cars upon cars were stopped as the typical rush hour was drawing near. As Hulk wasn't taking immediate action, Bridgette groaned and ran up to his side, giving his leg a noticeable pat.

"C'mon, we gotta go!" she repeated. He looked down and she motioned for him to follow her, the police's sirens approaching fast. People scream and dove out of their way as the pair made their way through the traffic and onto the sidewalk. Bridgette was running while the Hulk kept up with an even jog, footsteps like thunder. She took off her glasses and sent them to the ground, no point in them now. It was impossible to run to Stark tower, they didn't want the attention and media to follow them there and in the process reveal Bruce's name to the public. They couldn't just duck and hide in an alley, Hulk's size tossed that option out the window. There was a warehouse up ahead that didn't exactly look like it was in business and Bridgette took off towards it, the street becoming less crowded with people.

Skidding to a halt before the large truck entrance she slipped her hands beneath the grip and heaved it up with some assistance from the Hulk, the door didn't stand a chance. She waved him inside quickly, one hand still holding onto the door. The Hulk bent low to avoid hitting his head and Bridgette quickly closed the giant door behind him. Breathing hard, she leaned against the door, mind working in overdrive.

The had revealed themselves to the public. Not that she had much of a costume to begin with, just her thick framed glasses, but now the cat was out of the bag. Not to mention Bruce had Hulked out in the middle of the street during New York rush hour, plenty of people had seen them. What were they going to do? She obviously couldn't go back to work. Was Director Fury going to have to arrange something? She hoped not, she liked living in the city.

"Man..." she muttered. She could hear the shifting of the Hulk's form behind her as he moved his large hand near her, unsure if he could touch her or not. She gave a half smile, directing his hand to her shoulder, allowing the contact.

"Hulk and Bridgette...in trouble?" he guessed, unsure of how to word his question. She gave a hard sigh and nodded, flipping open her cellphone.

"Yeah, big guy...I think we're in trouble..." She brought the phone to her ear as it started to ring, taking another breath.

"Hey Tony, listen..."

* * *

**REVIEW! Tadaaaa! I couldn't resist, Bridgette and Bruce were practically begging for another story! And I wasn't in the mood to make little oneshots (because I would get carried away and it would turn into a story anyway lol) So! I hope you readers enjoy this! I may be changing it to a cross-over (my first!) because it will be involving the X-Men cast, so, yeah. Plus! I made banners for the first two stories and when our internet isn't being stupid, I'll see what I can do about those!**

**Your thoughts would be lovely and I hope you enjoy as much as I do!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Faux Pas**_

**Chapter Two**

"In the middle of New York's traffic...Where everyone could see you, plain as day..."

Director Fury stood before Bridgette in the safety of Stark Tower. The girl stood at attention as best as she could, shoes being discarded since they were broken (another pair, gone), arms clasped behind her back and feet shoulder width apart. She kept her mouth shut, for the moment, while Director Fury read her the right act.

"This ruins any cover up you may have had in place before the Initiative and Loki attack, do you understand?" he demanded. Tony, Steve and Bruce were standing a distance behind her, all quiet. She released a hard breath and answered.

"Yes. I understand."

"You are now a target for others who may be wanting to hurt SHIELD or the Avengers. You've painted a bull's eye on your back, Smith." She nodded.

"I rather it be me," she answered honestly. "Rather I be the freak show than any of the others." Fury gave her a stern look and she shrugged. "Seriously. Isn't it better that it's me, someone with no past whatsoever? Instead of Stark, the billionaire. Steve, the time jumping solidier. Bruce, the tempermental scientist." She glanced over her shoulder. "No offense guys."

"None taken," assured the Captain. Fury's glare moved from Bridgette to the men past her shoulder, taking a step forward.

"But it wasn't just you, Smith." His glare landed on Bruce who looked up cautiously. Tony had received Bridgette's phone call and drove out to pick up the Ricochet and a doctor who was clutching the shreds of his clothing, the girl half hauling him so they could get into the vehicle with tinted windows as quickly as possible.

"Dr. Banner." Bridgette flinched, hoping that maybe somehow, the Director of SHIELD would over look the fact that Bruce went Hulk in the center of New York. Not likely.

"While Smith was busying fighting two ton trucks, you also Hulked out in clear viewing of the public," he continued. Bridgette had to fight a groan. Bruce gave a single nod, arms folded.

"Yes," he admitted. Bridgette steped forward to distract Fury from the doctor.

"Listen, it was my fault. I should've been faster-"

"You shouldn't have been involved in the first place," corrected Fury. A flash of irritation flooded her and she stepped forward again.

"In the first place? The kid was going to get hit!" she defended.

"And now you've given the public a clear look into the personal identity of one of the Avengers!" snapped Fury, turning back to her. "The public, the police are trying to get their hands on you all. Tony is already very open and forthcoming due to Stark Industries, what makes you think that you, or Dr. Banner could handle it?"

She stammered for a moment to regain her ground. "A-alright, fine! They got a look at me, so what? I wasn't going to stand by and let that boy's death make the six o'clock news! At least they saw me doing something good-I wasn't robbing a bank or anything!"

"You weren't." He turned to Bruce again. "But the Hulk doesn't always invoke the feeling of security, especially when he's tossing taxi cabs."

"Hey, listen now-"

"I understand-"

Nick Fury lifted his hands to silence the two Avengers. Bruce complied and Bridgette shut her mouth with a bit more difficulty, watching the director intensely. He took a deep breath. The Avengers Initiative was going to be the death of him. Wth the Council constantly on his back, the other realms daring to focus on Earth due to their interactions with the Tesseract, Stark's overall personality, Steve Rogers' place out of time, Bridgette's background with Hydra, and Dr. Banner's Hulk. He didn't have the time or the means to watch out for city rush hour backups due to the Hulk and Ricochet. Fury took another breath before continuing.

"You need to go off radar for awhile," he instructed. "Until this completely calms down."

"Off radar?" repeated Bridgette. Bruce gave a nod.

"Back to Calcutta?" he suggested. The girl's jaw dropped at the suggestion and before she could argue Fury shook his head, hands clasped behind his back again.

"Not quite, doctor," he corrected. "There's somewhere specifically I would like you both to go. Granted, I was hoping to send you there on better grounds, rather than an escape route." Bridgette huffed instead of looking sheepish and the doctor remained professionally neutral.

"Both of us?" asked Ricochet, brow furrowing in confusion.

"Yes, Smith. I know you and Dr. Banner work as something of a pair, and I've decided that it's safer for you two to be working together rather than apart," he explained.

"How sweet," snarked Tony, rolling his eyes. Bridgette gave a teasing glare over her shoulder, ignoring the flush of her cheeks.

"Shove it, Stark."

"Would love to, sweetheart."

"Ass hat-" Director Fury cleared his throat and Bridgette quieted the rest of her banter. Right. She was in trouble. He drew up one of Stark Industries computer screens and pulled up an image of some large estate. It was a lovely complex, lots of green open space along with minor forestry.

"This is Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters," defined Fury. He tapped the screen and an image of a bald older gentleman in a wheel chair. "And this is the founder, Charles Xavier."

The two nodded, Bruce moving to stand beside the girl and to see the screen better. "All right, and what do you need us to do?"

"You will be acting as ambassadors, so to speak," continued Fury. "Xavier's school is for more than intellectually gifted students." Her ears perked at the suspicious undertone.

"More than intelligence?" she asked. "What could be more than intelligence?"

"Genetic mutation."

It seemed as if the entire room tensed at the words. Genetic mutations? What did he mean by that? Was it similar to Hydra? Experiments gone wrong?

"What do you mean by that, Director?" asked Dr. Banner. Fury tapped the screen and a directory of some sort expanded for them to see. A few rows of students, like a class roster. Just your simple every day kids, nothing odd about them.

"These are the students enrolled at the Institute, and each and every one of them have a genetic mutation of some kind," he went on. Bridgette shook her head, confused.

"What do you mean they have a mutation? Is this some kind of Hydra division or something? Are these kids in trouble?" she asked. Bruce glanced over at her, noticing her concern. He shyed a step closer so that their arms could brush and she gave him fleeting appreciative glance, focus back to Fury.

"No, it isn't like Hydra," he answered. "Professor Xavier takes in students who are born with genetic mutation. A type of haven from society. He's providing them shelter and an opportunity to better control their mutations."

"So why are we acting as ambassadors? What do you need us for?" asked Bruce. Fury wiped the screen clean for the moment, hands behind his back.

"Xavier is a very private individual and refuses to share any information involving his school and the students, which is of interest to SHIELD as they all are potential threats. Just like the rest of you," he added.

"So you want us to get you your information," guessed Banner. "You want us to spy."

"I would rest easier knowing that two of our men were on the inside, so to act as an extra defense against the public for the students, and in exchange, establish a trust with Professor Xavier and the Institute." Bridgette fidgeted, folding her arms.

"So why is this so difficult? I mean, why doesn't Xavier trust you already? Because you're super secret government?" she asked. "Why is this giving you so much trouble?"

He gave a hard sigh. "Xavier isn't particularly found of us because we are like the government, no matter how often I've said that we are seperate, and because of the Avengers."

Steve and Tony stepped forward in interest, the Captain speaking up. "Wait, why would they have a problem with us? We've just now heard of their institute."

"And equally disliked by society, thanks," added Tony. "What makes them better than us?"

"Xavier and the students don't exactly favor the Avengers because none of you were born with your abilities," said Fury. "Stark is all mechanical advancement, while the rest of you were created from science. Their argument is that none of you were born with super strength or any other oddities. You all chose to be the way you are."

* * *

Bruce sighed, removing his glasses so to set them on the nightstand. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he released another breath, sitting on the edge of his bed. Tomorrow they were going to leave for the institute. Fury had managed to make arrangements for the pair, and Xavier had agreed due to the commotion they had caused in the city. The Professor was understanding and sympathetic to their need to lay low for awhile. Whether or not Fury knew that playing the sympathy card would gain him access to the institute was another debate for another day.

Groaning, he flopped back onto the mattress, tired. He was ready to sleep, only wearing sweatpants and he ran his hands through his hair again, mussing the curls further. Covering his eyes with his arm, he debated sleeping as he was, half off the bed when there was a knock at his door. Fighting another groan, he looked over and half glared. If it was Tony he was not going to be happy. He was trying to mentally prepare himself for the flying he would be enduring in the morning, as it was definitely not his favorite way to travel. The last thing he needed was a science lab all nighter.

Scuffing his feet, he made his way over and opened the door.

"Listen Tony-" His words died in his throat when he had to angle his gaze downward to see the form of Bridgette Smith before him. She was wearing a tanktop and some sweatpants that were clearly too big for her. Her arms were crossed, cheeks a shade pink.

"Sorry to disappoint, not Tony," she teased. "A bit more clean shaven, and a heck of a lot cuter, in my opinion."

"O-obviously," he managed, heat creeping up the back of his neck. "Wh-what, ahem, what brings you here?" He knew she was staying at Stark Tower for the night to avoid anyone recognizing her if she tried to make her way to her apartment. He thought she went to bed earlier, using one of the many spare rooms the tower provided. What was she doing still up?

She shrugged, eyes lowered. "Mind if I bunk over?" His heart jumped at her words and he scarcely registered his body's movement as he stepped aside to allow her enterence.

"Not...not at all," he managed. Suddenly he was hyperly aware of the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt and had to swallow the urge to grab something from his closet. His common sense returned, stating that Bridgette had seen him numerous times without a shirt due to his Hulk sessions. That his body wasn't new to her. The fact only made him blush a darker shade.

She stepped inside and looked around. "How do you like living here? Better than out in the woods, I hope?" she smiled. He gave a breath of a laugh as well.

"Yes, running water is a plus," he confirmed. There was a moment of awkward silence as the two simply stood, facing each other in his room. The seconds ticked by and Bridgette ruffled her hair.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come over-you were probably working or something-I wasn't thinking-" she rambled as she moved to head for the door. His arm caught her waist, stilling her from continuing her escape. Of course she was nervous and unsure, they both were. About their relationship. About what they were comfortable with. About what they were allowed to do. Though Bridgette was much more forward with her general affection, as per her personality, there were moments when she would freeze, like now.

"It's all right," he reassured. "I was actually just about to go to bed." It felt so nice to have her body near his, even now in their partial embrace from him catching her to prevent her from leaving. The material of her shirt, the light grazing her own arms wrapping around his to keep steady. Simple touches that set both of their nerves alight with electricity. Blue eyes glanced tentatively up at him.

"You sure?" He leaned down and kissed her cheek lightly.

"Positive." She took a breath and nodded, the two turning to move toward the bed.

The bed itself wasn't anything special, Bruce didn't want anything extravagant like Tony favored. A simple bed that fulfilled it's purpose. Although it was mildly enhanced in strength, a just-in-case of a Hulk out due to a dream or anything of the sort. Unconscious Hulk outs were few and far between for the doctor, for which he was thankful. It was hard enough to keep a lid on the other guy when he was awake, let alone having to spend energy while sleeping. The two approached the bed that was neatly tucked in the corner of the room. As soon as they were standing beside the piece of furniture, the size of the bed suddenly dawned on the doctor.

"Ah..." he groaned. "I'm afraid it'll be...a bit snug." Bridgette laughed in agreement.

"Again, you sure you don't mind? You strike me as a bit of a bed hog," she smiled. He huffed, pretending to be offended as he tugged back the covers. To answer her question, he pulled her down as he took a seat, the springs creaking under their collective weight. He leaned close, their foreheads touching as he sighed, eyes closed.

"I'm tired, so please, no more questions," he begged. Bridgette gave a laugh and agreed, stealing a quick kiss, his hand resting at her waist. Keeping to her promise, she quickly settled under the covers, taking the space next to the wall. Exhausted, Bruce got up once more the go switch the lights off, padding back to his bed cautiously, not wanting to step on a stray pen or anything of the sort.

It was strange, sharing his bed with another. After so long of being unable to even be near people, the close contact was foriegn. He pulled the blankets up and over them, his head hitting the pillow with a satisfying thud. Their bodies were pinned to each other, so that he wouldn't roll off the edge and her hand rested on his waist as a preventative. His arm wrapped around her and she fit perfectly beneath his chin, her breaths soft against his chest. Brown eyes glanced down to see that she was already gone, softly snoring. Smiling to himself, he closed his eyes, sleep dragging him under all the quicker due to being entirely content.

* * *

**REVIEW! A bit slow (and short, sorry), some info, some Bruce x Bridgette fluffiness! Yay! My favorite personally, lol. Your thoughts would be lovely as always! And I must say, it is so incredibly flattering to see some of my ol' faithful reviewers (you know who you are ;)) back for this story! It really means a lot and I appreciate each and every one of you! P.s. My X-Men knowledge is a scramble mess of the X-Men movies and the cartoon X-Men: Evolution, so please bear with me! Thanks!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Faux Pas**_

**Chapter Three**

"Yowza! Check it out, doc!" Bridgette awed, leaning close to the window of the helicopter. As far as the belt restraints would let her anyway. Blue eyes rounded as she looked down at the Charles Xavier Institute. A massive estate with perfectly green grass and backed by what looked like some type of wood or forest area while the other side seemed to be near the edge of some sort of cliffside. The building itself was gorgeous and intimidating in size. A family that was well off, no doubt.

"It's all right. I'll just wait until we land," answered Bruce, keeping still. She smirked at the doctor's uneasiness with helicopters, reflecting the time when she first met him after the Hulk showdown and he was twitchy then too. She couldn't recall if he had properly explained his overreacting, maybe a bad encounter with a helicopter or simple phobia? Maybe it just riled his pulse, the uncertainty of flight.

"Aw c'mon, half of the fun is the view from above," she teased. Bruce raised a brow, mouth daring to smile.

"You've flown often then?" She shook her head, gaze still focused on the ground below them. She could see the tiny figures of people milling about. Students of the school perhaps?

"Nah. I stuck to ground transport mostly. Flying doesn't always allow for an escape route, like an airplane with civilians " she explained, pausing to confirm her decision. "Yeah, helicopters are way easier to ditch."

"_Preparing for landing_," came the voice of their pilot over the communication line. Sitting back properly in her seat, she glanced over at the scientist who wore matching ear coverings and she gave a grin to disarm some of his worry.

"Relax, Bruce. It could be fun," she said. He gave a small laugh.

"You make it sound like we're on vacation, not this type of exile," he reasoned. She pretended to ponder his words as the helicopter began it's descent.

"All right, so we can't go city walking, window shopping, but it doesn't mean that Fury can take the fun out of going somewhere new," she returned. "Besides, I think it'll be neat to learn about this mutation gene."

Bruce gave her a look of disbelief. "You think it'll be _neat_?"

"Oh come on, Bill Nye, don't pretend it doesn't interest you. Being born super powered? I mean, yes, there's probably more to it than that, but it means we're not the only ones who are different," she trailed off as they finally landed, the spinning blades overhead slowing down. The pilot gave them the okay and they removed their headphones, thanking the SHIELD agent for the ride. Grabbing their respected bag, they slid open the door and hopped down to land on the lovely estate.

As the helicopter took off, a small group of people approached them. Four were walking and one was in a wheelchair. Going off the chair and the photo they were shown, she figured that he was Charles Xavier, head honcho of the institute. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she and Bruce made their way so to meet them halfway. As they approached each other it was becoming difficult to ignore the tense air between the groups. Of course they were apprehensive. They were welcoming two figures from SHIELD, members of the Avengers, people they didn't particularly favor because they were made into what they were today, not born as such.

Taking a breath, Bridgette gave a bright smile and a wave.

"Howdy there," she called. The two girls returned the wave and Professor Xavier smiled back as well, offering his hand when they were close enough.

"Welcome to the Institute Bridgette Smith," he turned to shake Bruce's hand, "and Dr. Banner. We're happy to have you here with us."

"Thank you. It's very generous of you to let us stay," thanked Bruce. "We're sorry for the inconvenience."

"Not an inconvenience at all. We're all very excited to have you here. You've been the topic of most of our students' conversations since the New York incident," said Xavier, giving a laugh. Embolden by the positivity, Bridgette stepped forward to offer her hand to the man closest to her while Bruce and the professor chatted over pleasantries. He was wearing a leather jacket and a stern expression with his arms folded over his chest. She grinned again.

"Hi. I'm Bridgette," she introduced. He looked at her hand like it was offensive, not making a move to shake. He gave an unintelligible grunt of a response, looking away. Hand left hanging without reciprocation made the girl raise her brow in interest.

"And your name must be Sunshine," she answered for him. "Pleasure."

"Please, don't mind Logan. He is rather unpleasant toward newcomers," intervened the woman next to him. She had dark skin with strikingly white hair. She moved forward to return the handshake. "My name is Ororo, otherwise known as Storm. It is very nice to meet you, Bridgette."

"Thanks. You too," she smiled back. Stealing another glance at Logan, she focused her gaze back to the professor who gestured to the two younger people next to him.

"These are two of my students who live here at the Institute and attend Bayville High. Jean Grey and Scott Summers," he introduced. Both students moved to shake hands and exchanged proper greetings. Jean Grey was a young lady with lovely red hair and Scott Summers wore a set of red tinted sunglasses. Which Bridgette found odd as it wasn't overly bright that day. Strange.

"It's nice to meet you," said Bruce.

"Ditto," added Bridgette.

"Jean and Scott are seniors at Bayville High and are more than capable in helping you two adjust to your new roles," explained the professor. "Feel free to ask them any questions you may have."

"Wait, I'm sorry, our new roles?" interjected Bridgette, allowing confusion to be written across her face. "What roles?"

"Didn't your director explain to you your identities while you are here with us?" asked Xavier. Stealing a glance at each other, the Avengers shook their heads.

"I guess we missed the memo," shrugged Ricochet.

"If you could brief us, Professor," encouraged Bruce, adjusting the bag on his shoulder. Professor Xavier took a breath and his hands came together to create a steeple.

"While you are with us you will be filling in as teachers at the high school where our students attend. This acts as a sign of trust between ourselves and your division. I have been granted access of some of your basic files so to find the most suitable roles for you here." His gaze focused on Bruce. "Dr. Banner with your degree and field training, the science department is clearly your strong suit. Fortune was with us as the current science teacher is away for a year due to her pregnancy leave."

Bridgette gave a playful shove, a teasing grin pulling at her mouth while she did her best not to comment, trying to hold up her good behavior.

"Miss Smith, I was able to secure your role as the Physical Education teacher. Lucky for us, as strength seems to be your strong suit, so to speak." Bringing her arm up in a flex, she smiled at his pun.

"Sounds like a blast, professor. So when do we start our roles?"

"Tomorrow is the first day of the new school year and that seems the most appropriate time to start." He seemed to relax somewhat, the tension leaving his shoulders. "If you'll follow us inside, Logan will show you to your room." Biting the inside of her cheek so not to smile at Logan's face of disbelief. Clearly he was not the hospitable type. He glanced her way and she flashed him a broad grin, just so he could resume brooding with his arms folded.

Bruce stepped closer to her as they made their way up the steps that led into the building. "You shouldn't try to make him angry. I see what you're doing there," he warned fairly.

"Oh come one. I'm being the perfect guest. Charm and all," she whispered back.

"You're trying to tick him off. I believe it's working, so tread carefully."

"I'm simply being a charming guest and an optimistic person. He's being a grouch for no reason," she whispered back. Bruce gave her that knowing look and she sighed. "All right. I'll lay off a bit. Heaven forbid he die by too much nice-ness from another person."

"Nice-ness?" repeated Bruce with a laugh. "Your vernacular is quite extensive." She bumped his arm again as they followed Logan up the staircase and down the first hall.

"Good vocab words, doc. I see what you did there."

There was a thud as Logan pushed open the door and stepped aside.

"This is where the Professor assigned your room," he gritted out, as if speaking to them was a tremendous chore.

"Thank you Logan," spoke up Bruce formally.

"Thanks, Sunshine," smiled Bridgette good naturedly. With another grunt, he turned and left, Bridgette watching with interest. "I wonder what his deal is, super bad attitude?"

"It's not our concern," chided the doctor as they stepped into the room. It was a simple set up with two twin beds on opposite sides of the room. There was one by the window that caught the girl's eye and she glanced back at the doctor, hesitating.

"Any chance you want the one by the window?" she asked slowly. He shook his head, setting his back on the other bed.

"No thanks, I'd feel more comfortable away from the window if you don't mind."

"Great!" she cheered, tossing her bag on the bed. "Dibs then!"

"You want the one by the window?" he asked, raising a brow as he began to carefully unpack his bag, clothes nicely folded. She nodded, hopping onto the bed.

"Course, keeps me posted about what's going on." She sent him a grin and a wink. "Don't worry, doc, I'll be the first response team." He gave soft chuckle as he started to put away the clothes he brought.

"Always about finding that emergency exit," he guessed. He would know, he was the same way. Whenever he was in a new place he had to locate the nearest exit in case of a potential Hulk-out. To spare those around him injury. It was still strange to think that Bridgette needed to think the same way when she was avoiding Hydra, or even SHIELD at times. She didn't turn into an angry green giant or anything eye catching. She was a prized experiment constantly on the run, evading everyone that wanted her under a microscope.

"Sure. The best plan is the one that has an exit," she answered, starting to rummage through her own bag.

It was quiet for a few minutes as they unloaded their belongings. The quiet was odd as Bridgette tended to fill the air with chatter whenever she could. She never liked quiet. It put her on edge. It was exactly why she liked living in the city. Noise was a constant factor that could be counted on. Cars running, honking with people talking, swearing, and singing. Buildings and clubs producing their own music, and the general chatter of the city. It was loud, reliable, and always there.

Bridgette Smith hated the quiet.

"Kurt, don't push me!" whispered a girl.

"Sorry! I can't see!" came the corresponding voice. Interest piqued, the Ricochet made her way over to the doorway after hearing a sharp _'bamf' _like noise. Stepping out into the hall, she looked left, then right only to see no one. Hands finding her hips, she checked again. She was certain she heard people and that odd sound. Since the hall was clear, she thought to look up, just on the off chance there was some clue. Good call.

A boy and a girl were hiding up on the hallway light fixture, looking down at her with wide eyes. Doing her best not to laugh, she gave a smile instead.

"So...you hang here often?" she teased. There was that _'bamf' _sound again and the pairing vanished, then reappeared in front of her, making her flinch at the sudden change in space. They continued their stare from before, not quite sure on how to approach her.

"Hi, I'm Bridgette," she introduced. The girl took a breath and stepped forward, closer to the stranger.

"I'm Kitty and this is Kurt," she said, pointing to the boy behind her. She was a normal looking girl with brown hair pulled up into a ponytail and a pink sweater. The boy was similar to the girl in height with almost blue colored hair. He gave a wave and a smile as well.

"Hello!"

"Howdy," she returned. "So, you guys are students here, right?" She could hear Bruce moving so to stand behind her and saw how their gaze flickered over her shoulder so to study him as well.

"Yeah, and you're both, like, the Avengers right? The ones who fought the aliens?" asked Kitty. She and Kurt exchanged a quick glance to confirm their suspicion "Because we totally saw you on the news!"

Bridgette gave a shrug. "Yeah, we were there." Bruce touched her shoulder gently, tone cautious.

"We shouldn't confirm anything," he whispered.

"We were on tv, so we're on the internet and they have full access into looking us up if they'd like. Might as well tell them straight," she whispered back. She pointed to her fellow Avenger. "And this is Doctor Bruce Banner. Super smart scientist, doesn't like to fly, a little socially awkward like myself, but an all around nice guy."

"Wait, were you there too?" asked Kurt, stepping forward slightly. Bruce gave a soft laugh of irony.

"Yes, I was certainly there."

"So cool, dude!" cheered Kurt with a jump. He disappeared and reappeared hanging from the light fixture again. "You're both staying for awhile, right? Logan wouldn't tell us when we asked."

"Oh yeah, we'll be here for a bit," smiled Bridgette. "I think it'll be fun."

* * *

**REVIEW! Oh my gosh, I am so sorry about the wait for this chapter! Big thank you to everyone who has been so patient with me. It's been crazy with school, getting ready to transfer to a four year university, internship planning, working on original stories and ect. Again, I am so sorry that you all had to wait so long for this, I feel terrible, but this chapter/story was really fighting me. This is my second take on this chapter as I had to scrap the other that wasn't going in the direction I wanted. This will lean toward X-Men:Evolution as that is what I have a bit more info on I think.**

**Thank you for your patience and I hope you continue to enjoy!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Faux Pas**_

**Chapter Four**

"C'mon, get going!"

"Jean, have you seen my bag?"

"Are you still eating? Kurt we're gonna be late!"

The Institute was in full swing the following morning, everyone running about and getting their things together, or forgetting them more likely. The two Avengers were no exception. While Bruce was trying to get his paperwork collected that he looked up the night before, Bridgette was tying up part of her hair and tugging a cap on over her head.

"Tada! How about this?" she asked, turning about. "Do I look like a P.E teacher?" She was dressed in navy sport shorts, a grey short sleeved shirt with the school's logo and sweatpants pulled on over the shorts. The doctor looked up and gave a small laugh.

"Very much the gym teacher cliche'," he agreed. He returned to putting the folders away into his bag and the girl noticed the tense stature, rigidness in his movements and the fact that his tie wasn't properly made. Her brow lowered in concern at the odd change. Papers fluttered free when he didn't quite grip the folder properly. Taking a moment to stand still, hands gripping the back of the desk chair, he closed his eyes and focused on taking a deep breath.

What if he gets angry? Frustrated with a student?

"Hey." Stepping up to the doctor, her hand placed against his back gently. Her other hand slipped up to rest on the top of his shoulder and she gave a reassuring squeeze. "What's up, doc?"

What if the other guy makes an appearance? And he loses his cool, just for a moment? So many kids would be at risk. He would hurt so many, not even meaning to...

A moment passed and he didn't answer, but she could feel his muscles coiling under his skin, pulling tight out of apprehension. A few beats passed where she stayed quiet, listening to the good doctor try to regain control of his breathing, of his pulse trying to settle down, for his calm to surface once more. His hands gripped the back of the chair tightly, the knuckles paling in color. Moving her hands so that her right moved from his back to his shoulder while the other traveled down his arm to rest on top of the shaking hands.

"You're going to be fine, Bruce," she whispered softly. His brown eyes were screwed shut but she could feel the rigidness ebbing by just a little bit. A good sign. "You're not going to lose control, release the big guy, or whatever other negative and completely overanalyzed thought you've come up with in that head of yours. It's going to be fine. It's the first day of class anyway, pretty much a blow off kind of day. Plus, with the way the schedules are lined up, most kids have my class before yours. So I'll just wear them out so they'll be too tired to cause trouble for you."

He gave a shaky breath of a laugh, glancing over to her with his head still slightly bowed. "So you're a mind reader now?"

"Nah," she disagreed, crinkling up her nose. "Mind reading's not really my thing. But I like to think I've got a general idea of your thought process. And I can read body language pretty well too." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek before straightening his blue tie.

"Don't worry. I got you, doc." She gave a wink. "Always will."

* * *

_Steve hasn't come by the cafe lately. Or called me for that matter._

*****Beth, a no name waitress at a little cafe, moved about the workplace on autopilot, serving orders and refilling drinks like she was suppose to. It was odd, working without Bridgette Smith. The older girl was chatty and always friendly to the her, making the work floor quiet in her absence. Beth had just been hired a few weeks before the big alien invasion, when everything was turned upside down by the attack. She had been wearing the the awkwardly pale colored blouse, signifying that she was a new waitress, Bridgette's white said that she had more experience.

Ever since then, the aliens, the supernatural attacks, and the arrival of the Avengers. The Avengers, superheroes that came from seemingly nowhere, just out of the blue to save the day. She still had flashes of the attack, when she, and so many others, were trapped in the bank with those awful aliens surrounding them with their eerily glowing weapons. Then, all of the sudden, Captain America arrives on the scene, fighting the aliens with no restraint, using his shield as an offensive and defensive tactic, doing everything he could to protect them.

_"Hurry! Get out of here!"_

The crowd hurried at the command, herself included. He was wearing a mask, or helmet, she couldn't quite tell. The alien had pulled him into a headlock and he was fighting back, the mask slowly slipping from his face. Before his identity was exposed, she was pushed outside with the flow of people, battered and bruised, more than terrified for her life. Then there was a sudden explosion, startling her so bad that she tripped, most of her fingers becoming trampled as she hurried to push herself back up. To get away from the danger.

Captain America saved their lives. Her life. He was her hero.

After the battle had been won and safety was theirs once more, life returned to as normal as it could get after such an earth shaking event. She went back to work as did Bridgette. Not long after that, Bridgette's friend started to come by the cafe more often. Steve Rogers. He had visited their cafe once before and she had waited on him while he worked in a little sketchbook at one of the outside tables. Then he became a regular, causing her to blush and stumble over her words if she ever took his order. He and Bridgette were good friends, which was odd as girl with glasses never mentioned any friends outside of work. Awhile after normality returned, Bridgette went suddenly missing after receiving an urgent text message regarding some "family emergency". Another oddity as she never once mentioned her family. Never, under any circumstances, had Beth heard anything regarding Bridgette's home life. She wasn't at work for days then after. Steve didn't come by the cafe either, for the same amount of time.

Then she returns and is back to work like nothing ever happened, Steve at his regular table, ordering his meal and sketching in his little book. Not a hair out of place. Whenever Beth tried to ask about the "emergency" Bridgette would always evade the question or simply say that it was resolved, not divulging any other information. Sensing that it was a tender issue, she didn't push the matter.

Time passed again and things fell into a rotation of sorts. Normal. Regular. When Steve came in on a Sunday, she didn't think anything of it as she jotted down his usual before even asking. What she didn't expect was for him to ask her out, rather than ordering his tea. She had dropped her notepad out of shock. She was so stunned that this very attractive man was even vaguely interested in her, let alone interested enough to ask her on a proper date. Of course she saw Bridgette's knowing grin, the meddling waitress of a matchmaker.

And they did date. It was a very cautious type of dating. They didn't know how to act around each other, carefully tiptoeing in a slow kind of dance. Very formal, very polite, but also fun. For instance, Steve was not tech savvy. At all. More often than not, he was struggling to work his simple flip phone, the screen or the size of the buttons. A trait which Beth found endearing and it was unique to him, as she had never seen anyone other than her grandparents have so much difficulty with modern day technology. She liked being able to teach him the ways of the cellular world and teach him modern references, that was another thing he was completely lost with. Modern jokes and quotes. He was a very serious man, stern in expression and intense, so much that it almost overwhelmed her.

Life was going well, he had even kissed her chastely after their recent date. She remembered her heart wanting to beat its way out of her chest at the action. Cheeks flushed pink as she finally rose onto her toes to return the gesture. Life was _wonderful_.

But then it had all happened so fast. Her mom and Tommy coming to visit her at work. Tommy becoming upset and rushing out the door, right into the busy city traffic. She couldn't remember how to breathe as she watched her little brother dash into the street, too upset to realize what he was doing. Steve had started forward, shouting:

_"Bridgette!"_

Confused by his call, it was as if her world had slowed down as she watched her fellow waitress drop the pitcher without a moment's hesitation, crashing against the ground. The other girl ran into the heavy traffic after her brother. Then there was a semi truck and Bridgette stood right in front of it and proceeded to _stop_ the truck with her bare hands. Her bare hands! With the car horns blaring and hitting one another, the doctor that Bridgette was seeing ran out as well, but not before shape shifting into the massive Hulk that debuted during the alien attack. There was roaring and smashing of metal, Bridgette picking up Tommy and returning him to her mother. Bridgette had looked her, guilt written clearly across her face as she handed her apron over to the blonde.

_"Consider this my two weeks notice?"_ That was the last thing she said before running back to the Hulk and the pair took off down the street, footsteps thundering.

It was all so much to take in, it made her head spin.

How did Steve know to call Bridgette? How could she stop a truck with only her hands? Why had the Hulk suddenly appeared? What did it mean? What was their history together? What were they even? Human?

_"Yeah. I'm pretty sure he asked me if I was a superhero. Weird, huh?"_

_ "Not a bad role model, that Captain America."_

_ "But mom, she is!" protested Tommy. "She told me so, that day at the clean up! Ask Beth's boyfriend, he was there-"_

Waving to the other waitress, a brand new hire in Bridgette's place, Beth signaled that she was going to take her break. Once in the break room, she pulled out her phone and used the internet access to hop online. Taking a breath, she typed into the search bar, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.

_Who is Captain America?_

* * *

The soldier worked diligently at his desk, fingers typing away at the keyboard. The computer gave a small _'ding' _and a new window was pulled up for him to view. Inhaling sharply, he reread the information he just received to be certain. He had to be one hundred percent positive before passing along the new intel. They had heard a few loose rumors, some reports but nothing concrete. Hitting a button with a bit more force than necessary due to nerves, the file began to print. Gathering the file into his arms, he quickly rose from his seat and made his way to his authority's office.

Sooner rather than later, he knocked on the heavy door that was properly labeled for the figure residing inside. A brusque confirming order was given and the soldier took a quick breath before stepping into the office. Of course it was his luck to bring the man the news of the utmost sensitive matter.

"What is it, Private?" asked the man. He was older, as indicated by his thick white hair and creases by his eyes and mouth. There was the clip sound of paper stacking as he regarded the young soldier with a stern gaze. "I've got work to do, so be brief Johnson."

Johnson took another breath, stepping closer to his desk after closing the door. The topic was very hush hush, and not meant for everyone on the floor to hear until the General gave the order.

"Sir, they're together. In the same location."

"They?" he repeated, eyes scanning his own paperwork. The soldier nodded, stepping forward to set the file on his desk, mouth dry.

"Dr. Banner and Bridgette Erskine, sir. They've been spotted together. The panic that upset traffic in the city the other day was because of them. Erskine stopped a semi truck with her strength and Dr. Banner, well, turned into the Hulk in response. Sir." Swallowing with difficulty, the young man watched the General with a wary gaze, heart beginning to pound.

He flipped open the file, images of the pair filling the pages, notes typed neatly underneath, underlining traits that tied them to previous cases. To be certain. His eyes sharpened into a glare as he studied the pictures of the green gamma beast and the glitched soldier girl. Dr. Banner, the man that had been in love with his daughter and had created the berserker known as the Hulk, a manifestation of his own rage and adrenaline. Then there was Bridgette Erskine, subject of the famous super soldier serum. The science division known as Hydra had contracted the United States military in order to better their chances at recapturing her as she had escaped. Allowing the US Army to share the rights to her, as she was Hydra property.

_She had moved much faster than he had anticipated, appearing before him on the tank. With a flicker of strength she had lifted him from his spot and pinned him down on the metal harshly. The wind blew her unevenly cut hair about her face but she didn't care, blue eyes biting him in a glare. His men trained their weapons on her, not shooting for fear of hitting their leader._

_ "How well do you trust their shot, General?" she asked softly, German accent still evident, his collar twisted in her grip. "Not well enough, I'd guess. I wouldn't. They may hit me, but that's of no concern. May hit you though. Can't say it'd break my heart. But you're not willing to take that chance, are you?" She lifted him and slammed him back down, glare blazing with hatred._

_ "Are you!"_

_ "No," he croaked, vision blurring from the hit._

_ "Tell them to stand down," she hissed, grip tightening if possible. "Now."_

_ "Stand..." She shook her head, lowering her face near his, jaw tight as she growled through gritted teeth._

_ "Louder."_

_ "St-stand down," he spoke up, as best as he could with her hands locked at his throat. There was the shuffle of men, small sounds as they disarmed their weapons, doing as their general instructed them._

_ "Let's get one thing straight, General Ross," she seethed. "I'm no one's property. Not Hydra's and certainly not yours. I don't care what they offered you in exchange for me, what they promised. I belong to no one. Do I make myself clear?" When he didn't answer her, simply holding a stare of his own, she shook him for good measure, his body pinned under hers._

_ "I said, do I make myself clear, General?" He managed a vague nod of his head._

_ "Yes..."_

Then she was gone. Bridgette Erskine had humiliated him before all of his men. Not only that, but it only encouraged his hunger for her ability. Resistance to force. The ability to repel bullets. Enhanced strength and speed. To imagine that power in the hands of the United States military would render wars and fighting null and void. They would be unstoppable. Always victorious.

The General pulled the file toward him, flipping through the pages. "You are dismissed."

The soldier nodded before exiting in a proper fashion. General Ross turned the page, stilling at the most recent picture of the pair. Dressed in rather normal attire, standing just outside of institute titled Bayville High School, simply talking together and smiling. The berserker powerhouse and the walking shield. Two targets.

Reaching out, he picked up his phone and dialed the number from memory. They were two birds, and he had just the stone to take them out of the sky.

"Dad?" answered a woman on the line.

"Hello Betty. We have new intel regarding Dr. Banner..."

* * *

**REVIEW! Hello again! Yes, a bit of a filler, but I wanted to explore the other perspectives to get everything rolling for the story, yay!**

****Beth=Grace. Because I'm dumb. I finally got around to watching the Avengers on my laptop and I had no idea that you could actually read the name tag on the blonde waitress during the end of movie interviews. (facepalm) I'm the Queen of bad vision, I'm sorry! I already corrected her previous chapters, so everything should be straightened out now!**

**A little bit of Bruce x Bridgette bonding. Beth digging into Captain America's history and link to Bridgette. General Ross and a grudge against our favorite duo! What will happen next?**

**I hope you enjoyed!**

**P.S: I start the Insanity workout tomorrow, so in case I die, you readers know why. G'night!**


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